Why Channel 4 is the Best TV Channel in the UK

Now, I know this is bad for the environment (and the electricity bill), but I am one of those people that has the TV on from pretty much the minute I wake up to the minute I fall asleep. Whether I am watching live TV, catch-up TV, YouTube, or Netflix, you can guarantee that TV is being used a LOT. I mean, TV's cost a lot of money so I might as well get my moneys worth out of it.

But anyway, as my TV is always on, I have watched a lot of TV programmes. And because I have watched a lot of TV programmes, it has become very apparent to me that some TV channels are better than others. And as I have realised this, I have also realised that there is one TV channel in particular that is better than the others. And this TV channel (ifyouhaven'talreadyguesseditbythetitle) is... Channel 4! (and E4 - they are owned by the same company (I think).

Feel free to disagree if you want, but this is my opinion, and we are all entitled to our own opinions (as long as we are being kind and not hurting anyone's feelings). But just by watching a lot of TV programmes over the years and now being more aware of being inclusive, Channel 4 is definitely the best.

Let me start by going through the programmes I watch on Channel/E4: The Sex Clinic; Celebs Go Dating; Man with a Plan; The Great British Bake Off; Schooled; The Goldbergs; The Big Bang Theory; Friday Night Dinner; The Undateables; First Dates; 24 Hours in A&E; Naked Attraction; The Last Leg; Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Derry Girls; Come Dine with me; 8 Out of 10 Cats/Countdown; The Inbetweeners; Gogglebox; The Circle; Peep Show; Coach Trip; Fresh Meat; Black Mirror (yes, it originally started on Channel 4); Ackley Bridge; The Crystal Maze; Deadwater Fell; 24 Hours in Police Custody; and quite possibly many, many more.

Just by looking at that list, you might think it is quite generic. You might just think 'yeah, but pretty much every other TV channel has these kinds of shows on their channel'. Yes, I guess you're right in that respect. But the shows on Channel 4 (and E4) are different. They're much more refreshing. They are like the shows on other channels, but are much more inclusive. So let's take a look at why this is...

First of all, let's take a look at The Last Leg. For those of you who don't know, this show is essentially a comedy chat show where they talk about the news of the week and try and break it down in a way that is easy to understand and try and take a comedic spin on the news (obviously only where appropriate). But it is different to any other chat shows. For example, two of the shows hosts are amputees and often speak about their experiences of prejudice and being discriminated against because of their disabilities. This show has honestly given me more of an insight into what it is like to live with a disability than 16 years of education has ever taught me. But not only that, but let's look at regular chat shows. Shows such as The Johnathon Ross Show, The Graham Norton Show, etc. are pretty much exactly the same thing. They have the same type of humour and often have the same guests on frequently. The Last Leg is different. They have comedians on there such as Rosie Jones, who has ataxic cerebral palsy, and Lost Voice Guy (Lee Ridley), who has a neurological form of cerebral palsy. They also regularly have paralympions on, such as Lauren Steadman and Jonnie Peacock. You can't honestly tell me there's not another mainstream chat show like this that doesn't promote as much diversity as The Last Leg does.

We also have The Undateables. For those of you who haven't seen this show, it essentially follows individuals who have struggled with dating in the past, which has often been put down to them having autism, or being disabled, or essentially being outside 'the norm' that society has told us to look for. One thing I don't like about the show is the title because, to me, it immediately tells me that these people aren't datable, even though they very much are. But besides that, this show is about inclusivity. It is about giving these people a platform to show they aren't what we might have thought they were and that they are people with feelings and it is difficult to try and find someone who they are going to (hopefully) be with forever. I mean, there is definitely no other dating show on TV that is like this one. Maybe First Dates to a certain degree, but The Undateables is on a whole other level when it comes to dating.

Now, we can't talk about why Channel 4 is the best TV channel on TV without mentioning Naked Attraction. For those of you who haven't got a clue what I'm on about here, Naked Attraction is a show where one person is given the choice of six people. Each person is naked in a pod and the front of the pod slowly lifts up to reveal different parts of the person. It starts with the lower part of the body, then the middle, then their face, then their voices, until it is down to the last two people, at which point the person choosing gets naked and has to choose one of the two people to go on a date with. I'm aware if you've never seen this show before, what I have just described may sound like the weirdest shit to you, and believe me this show is, but if you haven't watched it, I beg you to do it just so you can get what on earth I am on about. But a good thing about this show is that it promotes body positivity. It celebrates bodies of all different shapes and sizes, warts and all. I like watching this show because, not only is it great TV, but also it makes me feel a bit better about my body and more confident with who I am. I have spoken on here before about how I'm really self-conscious when it comes to my body and hate being naked in front of people, but this show makes me feel more confident about the moles on my body, the hair in awkward places, and the stretch marks on my hips and inner thighs. But not only does it promote body positivity, it also promotes all types of sexuality. Where you've got shows such as Love Island that only ever show straight relationships, Naked Attraction promotes pretty much every type of sexuality there is. Whether that be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, you name it, they'll show it. They also talk about what that sexuality means, particularly if it is more unknown. They will also talk with the contestant about the types of sex they enjoy and will then talk about this type of sex to give the viewers more information. But if you've never watched Naked Attraction, I highly suggest you do as it is probably one of the most empowering shows you will ever watch.

You also have shows such as 24 Hours in A&E and 24 Hours in Police Custody. Both of these shows give you an insight into the things our emergency services have to deal with day-in and day-out. I think both of these shows are incredibly important as there are so many people who abuse the work the emergency services do, whether that be prank calling, calling unnecessarily, or turning up to A&E when they've just got a cough (obviously in the current climate, please try and not leave your house and follow Government advice). It shows you the strains these services are currently under and gives the professionals the chance to share their own stories of things they have experienced, either ones that were filmed or ones that were not filmed. I often cry at these shows because no one deserves to be under that much pressure where they work and they work such long hours and seldom get a break. I urge anyone who does any of the above things I mentioned about abusing the system to watch this and hopefully you will think twice about doing it again.

Those are pretty much the main shows that I feel make a real difference that none of the other TV channels could ever compare to. Maybe the fact they are all shown on Channel 4 is just a coincidence? Who knows? But one thing I do know is the fact they are shown on Channel 4 does in fact mean that this Channel is the best TV channel in the world (but failing that the UK).

If you have watched any of these shows, whether that be the ones I went into great detail about or the ones I briefly mentioned, then please let me know your thoughts and opinions on them. Do you think they help make Channel 4 the best TV channel in the UK? Why? Please let me know in the comments below, along with whether you think Channel 4 (overall) is the best channel in the UK and why. But if you don't agree, do you think there is a better channel? Or are all TV channels the same? Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you all so much for reading and please stay safe!

Love Beth xx